perfecting the technique and how often to shave

[Darren67]

so i shaved my head again today its my 2nd day of the sly way of life, i had some razor burn come up because i shave against the grain everywhere (it feels so much better!) so i wont shave it tomorrow but the day after to give the razor burn time to go down. bare in mind im BBC how often would my sly brothers say i should use the same balde?
i have a wilkinson sword quattro (schick in america)

cheers guys Darren

[Noodles]

Darren,

You'll probably get as many replies on this question as there are SBG members.

I shave twice a day (once in the morning, then again in the evening), and change blades every 7-10 days. I guess a good rule of thumb is that when you feel the razor is starting to "pull" your skin a bit, but not really shaving your hair as close as it should, or you have to make multiple passes over a spot where it took only one or two when the blade was new, then it's time to pop in a fresh blade.

Basically, it all comes down to personal preference, but a blade a week should be about average, otherwise you start getting into nicks, cuts, shaving irritation, etc - and NO SLY GUY WANTS THAT!!

Hope this helps.

 - Cap'n Noodles -

[The Noggin]

I wouldn't go for the ultimate smoothness right now, because that makes you go over the same spots again and again. Also, the preparation is very important. What's your routine so far?

[Darren67]

well my routine as far goes... lol
i jump in the shower and do my normal shower bits whilst keeping my head wet so it makes the hair nice n soft then i scrub my head with shower gel then i jump out the shower run the tap in sink  get the water nice n hot wet my head again dry it off apply my gel then i shave against the grain everywhere then i apply baby lotion to my nicely sly'd head to moisturise it

cheers guys Darren

[Troy]

I'm eight months in to keeping my head shaved, and shave every three days.  I haven't really had much in the way of irritation, but have found if I shave more often there's either not much to shave off or I press too hard.  Good to see you joining the shaved head ranks; it's one of the best things I ever did for myself. 

[Magoo]

When to change blades ? That you will find out by trail and error each head and type blade is different. But Noodles is about right with a 7 day change out. If your a new shaver going atg may give you some irritation give your skin time to toughen up.

[Basqueman]

I've been sly going on three weeks and I've tried a few different things during this time.  The one thing that stands out from my various experiments is having the best lubrication possible.  I was getting bumps and irritation in the beginning then I bought a shaving oil and use it as a base before I apply my favorite shaving cream which is Headslick.  Using the shaving oil has really cut down on the irritation and has lengthened the amount of shaves that I get from a blade.

[Arnie]

I took the initial advice I got...but shortly after that, with practice...my routine became automatic with the products I use.

A little trial and error, you will perfect your routine as well!!!

[Darren67]

so does your head really toughen up? did all my sly brothers used to get razor burn?
 and if so how bad? how long did it last for?

cheers guys Darren

[The Noggin]

The skin gets used to be shaved when you shave regularly.
To avoid razor burn good lubrication is important, try HeadSlick by HeadBlade, its very slick (hence the name ). Shaving oil is another option as mentioned above.
If you do multiple passes with the razor, re-lather in between.
Blades have to be sharp. Don't put pressure on the razor - let it glide.
Finally, use an after shave balm rather than some lotion, because they have special ingredients to soothe the skin after being shaved. Nivea products are very popular as well as HeadLube.
With some experimenting you'll find the products and the technique that work for you.

I've started with HeadSlick, the HeadBlade razor and HeadLube. I can't recall any razor burn. Cut myself sometimes in the beginning but that's another story.

[foreversmooth]

You may get razor burns if you shave frequently (like everyday). Since you are still new to shaving, your skin has yet to adjust to this new regimen. Give it time. Shave every other day or even every three days at the beginning to give your skin a rest between re-shave. To avoid cutting yourself or getting irritation, don't put too much pressure on the blade (don't keep the same blade for too long; when you find that it is no longer giving you a close shave, it may mean two things: a) the stubble is too short and the blade cannot properly cut the hair, or b) the blade is becoming dull.
I found that if I go several days without shaving and I have to trim my hair with clippers first before I shave it, then I don't get a close shave. Then I would shave again two days later, which then gives me a super smooth skin.
So my recipe for a close shave without getting skin irritation: shave every 2 days or every 3 days, no longer otherwise you would have to clip your hair to stubble; shave in several directions (you can tell by touching your scalp where some hair is remaining), applying lather each time; don't apply too much pressure on the blade, at least for the first few weeks until your skin gets used to the process.
Happy bald head and keep us posted on your progress 

[Ming the Merciless]

How often?  It depends on a raft of factors.  My hair is white, so stubble takes longer to be patent.  My hair is fine, so stubble is not stiff and thick.  If you have thick, coarse, dark hair--of course you will probably be shaving more often than those such as I.  You will note above that twice a day is on the "to do" list of some fellow Slys. When I am shaving the dome, MWF is the usual.  At the moment I'm letting it grow out to buzz length.  It takes about a week before anything really noticeable is seen on the heights.

Advice?  Do what you want and whatever produces an effect you like.

The life of a razor also depends on a raft of factors.  Coarse, thick hair wears it out faster.  How hydrated you get the hair pre-shave affects blade life.  And there is also what I call "bottle variation," a term from wine--the supposedly same next bottle in a case of a single vintage might be better/worse than the one you just have emptied.  And so with blades.  From the same cartridge, a blade might be dragging and balking after three or four shaves; the next might last two weeks or more.  And, also, it depends on how tolerant you are of the degree of dullness a blade develops.  I'm rather tolerant.

Maybe some of the new hot-diggety blades are uniform in quality.  I would not know, as I use a blade style that's seventy years old, albeit with upgrades in quality along the way, and this is the one that I see "bottle variation" in.

[Sgt. Pate]

I use Nivea For Men Extreme Comfort Post Shave Balm... works wonders!  

[Darren67]

well this morning was shave #4 with the same balde and it was starting to drag and was'nt so "smooth" i felt it going over the stubble but was really cutting the bits on the crown of the head so anyway i finished my shave looked in the mirror and yes i had razor burn partly due to the fact im a new sly and the fact that the blade was dull so i put this stuff called germolene on my head, its an antiseptic cream that helps reduce irritaion and redness.
im really starting to enjoy shaving my head now i really enjoy the look and quite looking forward to wednesday for the next shave.

cheers guys Darren

[Magoo]

You will enjoy it much more, once you can avoid the irritation.

Good luck.